Programme Manager in Bristol

As a Programme Manager, you'll lead our high‐profile, technically complex Dreadnought programme – a national endeavour that will replace the Vanguard Class and sustain the Continuous At Sea Deterrent into the 2030s. You'll provide clear direction across design, build and manufacturing phases, manage risk and delivery through a complex supply chain, and galvanise senior stakeholders around outcomes that matter. It's a career‐defining opportunity at the heart of defence, aerospace and engineering.

Day‐to‐day Responsibilities

• Lead a multi‐disciplinary leadership team to deliver systems for the Dreadnought class SSBN, from design into manufacture.
• Engage senior internal stakeholders (including Group level) to align priorities, unblock challenges and drive programme outcomes.
• Partner with our customer to coordinate delivery, manage interfaces and maintain accountability for schedule, cost and quality.
• Direct and mentor a team of Senior Project Managers, each owning major workstreams, ensuring integrated planning and reporting.
• Oversee governance and risk management across manufacturing phases, supply chain and equipment delivery to Barrow.

This role is full time, 37 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home.

Essential Experience

• Proven track record delivering complex engineering programmes from design through to manufacture within complex supply chains.
• Demonstrable leadership of large, multi‐disciplinary teams – setting priorities to meet delivery commitments and financial goals.
• Senior stakeholder management across customer, supplier and internal executive levels.
• Experience operating in an engineering or manufacturing environment (submarine or defence sector experience welcome).
• Ability to drive change and transformation with clear outcomes and disciplined programme control.

Qualifications

• Essential: There are no mandatory formal qualifications for this role; proven programme leadership in complex engineering environments is critical.
• Preferred: Recognised project management qualifications such as APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) or Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) (or equivalent).

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be a sole UK national who is able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held.

Benefits

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance.
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+.
• Employee share scheme.
• Employee shopping savings portal.
• Payment of Professional Fees.
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10‐days special paid leave.
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement.
• 'Be Kind Day' enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity.
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

About Babcock

For over a century Babcock has helped to defend nations, protect communities and build a better world. To continue, we must adapt, advance and be a sustainable business with a shared goal.

Inclusion and Accessibility

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email careers@babcockinternational.com with the subject header 'Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone's free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing Date: 20/01/2026